In the Barrens with Horatio and Dirt Nap

[Dirt Nap]

Dirt Nap catches up with Horatio, and gets him out of the Domain, to wait in the Barrens to wait for the next Court, to try again for formal acknowledgement.

"Well, Sir. Do you mind if I ask what you are planning to do different in the next Court?" He asks in a schooled, respectful tone.

They are in a secluded, undeveloped area outside the Sacramento City limits, to the east of the city. The terrain is dry and arid hill country. Dirt Nap has found a little hollow with a dugout tunnel that will be safe from any daylight when the night is over.

[Horatio Quilz]

Horatio takes a measured scan of the area before finding a spot to lean on.
Taking a cigarette out of his jacket as he pulls the suit jacket off, you can see his gun holster and hidden sword.
He sets each down onto a outcropping of concrete before getting a lighter to blaze the end of his cigarette. Taking a long drag from his cigarette, Horatio stares at the end for a minute before stating in a reminiscing or thoughtful manner. "Some habits transcend death, nothing can beat a good cigarette to a ex-smoker, smoke 'em if ya got 'em Johonny!"
He takes another pull from the cigarette, making a ruby red glow around himself and envelopes himself in smoke as he exhales it out.
"Give me six ghouls, six kindred and with some time for training and supply gathering, I could take that court and hold it for a month or more. Give me a riddle from the old kingdom of Egypt and I would bury my head in books to solve it and translate it for you. But throw me into a court and I am stumped with these politicking, social maneuverings, and Invictus peacocking. I was not picked for my social skills, you don't send in a Sworn of the Axe to play nice in court, you send them to get shit done, to keep secrets by force, kill something, or protect something. No … I am not the one for politics.

He looks at the cigarette and drops it down to be crushed under his boot.

"I am a weapon that solves riddles and learns.
Obviously my polite was not their polite, if you would be so kind as to enlighten me Mr. Dirt Nap.
In return I can offer you martial training or something in the line of academic training as well, hell I'd even give you free contract, name a soul and they will be on the scales of Anubis before you know it."

He finally looks Dirt Nap in the eyes on the last part. Smoke slowly creeps out of his mouth and nose, trying to escape his lungs after he stopped breathing, the last indulgence of the cigarette a ghost now.

[Dirt Nap]

Dirt Nap is silent, his expression troubled. "Well, Sir. I would think you'd be a lot better off with Priscus Black telling you the way to handle things than me." He says. "It seems to me the main trouble is that if you don't much care about a thing, and you are talking to someone who does, maybe not mentioning how you don't care for it would be a thing to avoid doing..."

Then after a long, silent minute or two, Dirt Nap adds, "I try to to in sounding like I don't think I know much, and listen like whoever is talking knows more about it than I do." He says. "I guess I apologize a bit, too. Possible more than is absolutely necessary; I don't mind if someone needs to feel like something is my fault before then can move past it to get to the main job."

Dirt Nap ponders and then says, "Sir. Do you have an idea why they sent a Sworn of the Axe instead of a politician? It seems like the job is about politics instead of about war. I mean, I gotta say, this Court is pretty small, but I wouldn't sell it short in a fight. Seems like they sent someone to fight, and I am wondering why, and who they meant to start a fight with?"

[Horatio Quilz]

Horatio smiles on that last part, he stares at his sword for a moment before speaking.
"You'd only have to look in the belly of the chapter house for that answer."
He returns his gaze to Dirt Nap. "​I am pretty sure the 2018 incident is one of the main reasons for it."

[Dirt Nap]

Dirt Nap goes still and silent as Horatio speaks. He is quiet for a long minute afterwards as well, apparently completely comfortable with or just oblivious to the silence.

"I've been all through that house." He says slowly. "Unless you mean the one before."

Dirt Nap nods, "I got here late that year. I don't know or recall hearing about anything like what you seem to be talking about. Sir. I don't need to know unless you need me to, for me to help. The thing is, you aren't likely to get to any place you need to until you can get acknowledged, and it looks to me like that would take eating a heaping pile of crow. Sir." The Scholar states in a matter of fact tone.

[Horatio Quilz]

He lets out a throaty laugh when Dirt Nap mentions eating crow.
"Haha, Now that is an understatement my friend."
He straightens up from leaning and looks towards his vehicle as he hears a rustle of Daemon becoming restless. He makes an effort to sigh, as he walks over to the vehicle. He lets Daemon out, checks the food and water bowls and indulges the dog's want to run with a kong that he throws far but not to far.
"Is the town of Davis in the Domain?" As he is asking this question he is gathering training equipment from the vehicle to wear out Daemon.
"It is only a fifteen to twenty minute drive from here and has a good bit of amenities along with a university."

[Dirt Nap]

Dirt Nap is quiet for a long minute, and perfectly still.


"Sir." He says. "As far as I know, it is not."


"Sir. I'd suggest going the other way, though. Placerville. It's more like a forty five minute drive, and smaller, and more out of the way. Less chance of bumping into anyone we know." Dirt Nap suggests.

He pauses for a longer time, and then abruptly says, "Sir. As to the best way to get an acknowledgement from the Seneschal, I'd say to keep it simple, don't say anything you don't have to, and apologize when you do whether you believe you've done anything to offend anyone or not. Show up early and don't bring the dog. People like people who listen more than they talk, and you've dug out a bit of a hole in that area, if you don't mind my saying so, Sir. I think your problem all along has been talking when you should be just nodding and saying thanks."


Dirt Nap smiles slightly, "If that advice is worth anything to you, Sir, I will say that I've been wanting to learn the discipline of Celerity for a while now."

[Horatio Quilz]

Horatio listens to Dirt Nap as he continues setting up a training session for Daemon. Looking up to Dirt Nap, he takes a minute to consider the words before finishing up the scenario. "Sound advice, goes against my nature, so I'll have to work on it but thank you sir. I am sure you can grasp the discipline without my help, it is common I believe, but it definitely would go faster with a teacher, so I'll mentor you on it." He pauses for minute before adding more. "There are only two disciplines I cannot teach you, my clan and my bloodline discipline. The first is by clan writ in most places, the second is because you must be of the bloodline to use it and no other reason why."

He grabs the kong from Daemon and praises him for bringing it back before grabbing the harness for him and snapping it on. The dog goes into work mode and sits at attention waiting for commands. "Find the ammo Daemon!" The dog rushes to the Jeep and starts sniffing around for the case of bullets Horatio hid in the tire well of the Jeep. Knowing this will take a while, Horatio turns back to Dirt Nap with an occasional shout back for Daemon to find the bullets. "So Davis would be too much of a main thruway you say, I might risk it for the conveniences though, nothing better than stores being open late and hotels." Hearing the excited barking and pawing, Horatio rushes to grab the box of bullets before Daemon tries to claw through the tire well. After giving praises, Horatio puts the bullets back and takes the harness off to give him another run, he grabs the decoys before settling back in near Dirt Nap.
"After I get acknowledged I will need for us to meet at the chapter house for a evaluation of the grounds, if you don't mind sir. I'll also see about fixing it up if need be and anything else Ordo Dracul business wise we will discuss there." He takes out another cigarette and lights it with a old zippo, before looking back at Dirt Nap with a friendly smile.

[Dirt Nap]

Dirt Nap watches intently, staring even at the method and style of the commands and obedience of the dog, Daemon to its master. He looks for reinforcement, or the method by which the master keeps the animal conditioned and trained to know what to do, that it did the right thing for the given command.

"Thank you kindly, Sir." Dirt Nap says, as Horatio both seems inclined to take the advice about Court manners seriously and to help Dirt Nap with the beginning pointers on the discipline of Celerity. He hopes the Prince won't be offended if Dirt Nap happens to pick it up before she has the opportunity to teach him.

"Yes, Sir." Dirt Nap says, both to Horatio proposing to go through with Davis city as his destination, and to the statement that if he is acknowledged in the Domain, he will be taking over the Chapter House.

"The Chapter House, the new one, is clean as a whistle and ready for the Order to move in." He says. "Shouldn't be any problem, as soon as you're Acknowledged in the Domain."

[Horatio Quilz]

Horatio nods as he listens to Dirt Nap. He watches for Daemon, but knows that no harness is off duty time so he can enjoy himself to a point.
"As soon as someone higher in the order comes, I'll give way, not my place to run the house unless I am the only Sworn in the area or combat is a foot … Then it is my place, unfortunately." He lets a chuckle before continuing with his thought. "Reminds me of the service during the war, if you were unlucky enough to be next in command after the commanding officer got snuffed, well you just had to grit it and try to do the best you could because you had folks depending on you."

Horatio sits in reverie for a moment before Daemon plods up and nuzzles his hand breaking him out of it. "Ah yes, treats! Sorry Daemon!" Pulling a bag out his pocket, Horatio hands off one treat to the Husky after giving differential hand signals for him to sit, lay down and jump up. "Sorry Dirt Nap, memories from so long ago are almost dream like. Have I mentioned how much I appreciate all the help?"